It is well known in the art to provide set finishing apparatus for machines that produce sheets of paper or other image receiving materials, e.g., printers and copiers, which can position a finishing apparatus, e.g., a stapler, in a plurality of locations, as desired. It is also well known to have one of the plurality of set finishing locations be a manual stapling position. The manual stapling position may be, as is known, an automatic stapling position with a variety of different types of sensors that can determine that a stack of sheets has been inserted manually into, e.g., an opening in the side of, e.g., the housing of the set finishing and stacking apparatus and to automatically engage the stapling mechanism. Automatic stapling apparatus and methods of this type are also well known to have engagement mechanism, that, when activated, e.g., move the stapling apparatus into engaging contact or even into compressing contact with the stack of sheets to be stapled prior to activating the stapling apparatus itself to drive the staple through the engaged/compressed stack of sheets.
Typically, this opening is designed for a maximum thickness of the stack of sheets, depending, e.g., on the stapling apparatus capabilities and/or the maximum staple size. In addition, it is well known that it is undesirable for an operator to be able to insert a body part, e.g., a finger into the opening and have the automatic stapling device activate with consequent injury to the inserted body part. In the past, this has been prevented, e.g., by the use of a stack insertion guide and body part shield that is at once large enough for the maximum thickness of sheets for which the automatic stapling apparatus is designed, and yet small enough to keep out the undesired body parts, e.g., a finger, a thumb, etc. As the capabilities of the automatic staplers in use have increased, however, e.g., up to a capability of stapling sheets as thick as around five or six millimeters, and the size of the openings in such shields have remained at about that thickness to keep out, e.g., a seven or eight millimeter body part, the difficulties in inserting the stack of sheets at about the maximum design thickness has increased.
It is, therefore, desirable to have an automatic stapling apparatus that removes these and other shortcomings of the prior art.